Pilots Federation
The Pilots Federation ranks all pilots in Elite: Dangerous from harmless to elite.Newsletter #22 A pilot's rank can be improved through trade, exploration, combat and CQC.Newsletter #50 All players are a part of the Pilot's Federation by default. They are present as an independent minor faction, based in the Shinrarta Dezhra system. Pilots who are ranked Elite in either combat, trade, exploration or CQC can get a permit which gives access to the system Shinrarta Dezhra. It contains the Founders World and the station Jameson Memorial which has all ships and modules available to purchase, with a 10% discount. Ranks Rank requirements under heading links. Lore The Origin of the Pilots Federation Continuing our popular series on significant episodes from human history, noted historian Sima Kalhana discusses the foundation of the Pilots Federation.Galactic News: The Origin of the Pilots Federation "The Pilots Federation was established in 2805 in response to a surge in private-starship ownership. It was created principally to allow pilots to share reliable trade-route information, and to provide them with a system of mutual protection against the rising scourge of interstellar piracy." "At the time, independent pilots were generally mistrusted, the itinerant nature of their profession giving rise to perceptions of irresponsibility. The Pilots Federation's strict code of conduct put an end to this, and over time a galaxy-wide respect for its members emerged." "As piracy became more prevalent, the Pilots Federation started issuing bounties on known pirate vessels. Some of those outside the organisation condemned the initiative as bloodthirsty, but few were able to argue with the impact it had on piracy. Shortly thereafter, the Pilots Federation introduced an official ranking system to reflect the number of combat victories achieved by each of its members. Pilots who accumulated the largest number of kills were awarded the title of Elite – a citation that became highly coveted among independent pilots." "The Pilots Federation derives the bulk of its wealth from the GalNet data network. Originally a system of ship, bounty and star-chart data, it evolved into an interstellar aggregator of market information and galactic news. By 3300, the Pilots Federation was not only the dominant provider of this information, it was also the main manufacturer of the hardware and software serving this data. Today, Pilots Federation systems are fitted as standard on virtually all independent starships." "In 3290 the Pilots Federation expanded its ranking system to encompass the fields of trade and exploration. In 3301 it expanded it again to include pilots who had distinguished themselves in the Close Quarters Combat championships." "The Pilots Federation has always remained politically neutral, avowing that it exists to support pilots rather than nationalities or political factions. The organisation is based in the Shinrarta Dezhra system, which can be accessed only by invitation. Receiving an invitation is typically dependent on achieving a high rank in the Pilots Federation. This stipulation has contributed to perceptions of the organisation as secretive – a perception compounded by the fact that the Pilots Federation has very little direct interaction with the public." Pilots Federation Secrecy The Pilots Federation in many ways is a secretive organisation. This in part reinforces its status of neutrality. It exists to support pilots, not nationalities or political factions. Over the years this has led to its acceptance (albeit grudging in some cases) in practically all human domain.Tourist Beacon 0247 Despite its ubiquitous presence it has very little direct dealings with the public. Even member pilots tend to interact via the networked rankings and bounties system. The prime exception to this is registration. A pilot has to register in person for their PF license. Registration is performed at offices throughout human habited space. The PF represents the nearest thing to law in uncontrolled and ungoverned space. Their existence provides a safely net for human expansion in space beyond the major factions. The Elite Federation of Pilots (EFP) continues as a select and extremely secretive group within the larger organization. Much of what the Pilots Federation does revolves around secrecy; and this has many layers. Within the Pilots Federation, the Elite Federation of Pilots is even more mysterious and secretive, and at the centre of that is the elusive 'Founders World'.Tourist Beacon 0251 It is the only system directly controlled by the EFP, and even its location is closely guarded. The secrecy is maintained by the EFP using 'misinformation' - there are a great many rumours of its rough location - and they all contradict each other. Only a select few - the members of the EFP - know the truth. The system is governed by the EFP and it is here that the organisation's headquarters is based. EFP members are allowed to retire here in relative anonymity. Pilots Federation Interests The Pilots Federation as an organisation controls a vast financial empire. This is not public knowledge, although the major intelligence services are aware of the fact. However for the most part these financial resources are used to improve safety for pilots and for funding bounties where local authorities do not (or in uncontrolled space), some governments have been known to take advantage of this.Tourist Beacon 0248 The Pilots Federation also takes a private interest in the independent venture with new colonies, this will typically be masked by front companies. In only one known case has the PF taken control of a world or system - see the Founders' World section below. As well as providing funds for bounties it also receives transaction fees for completed bounties that are processed through the PF bounty system - and in many cases retains unclaimed bounties where, for whatever reason, the pilot who has earned it doesn't claim it. By far the most significant contribution to the PF's finances is the near monopoly it has for the embedded ship and station systems. Pilots Federation's Near Monopoly Historically the Pilots Federation has been a trusted source of information for pilots. As humanity expanded into space that need for information continued to grow.Tourist Beacon 0249 Before 3100 they provided data for many ship and station manufacturers. After 3100 in an understated, but effective campaign of acquisitions and mergers they became the dominant provider of this data as well as the hardware and software solutions serving that data. From star chart data, ship data and bounty management systems the Pilots Federation expanded their data sources to include markets, newsfeeds and communication systems. In 3300 the Pilots Federation's GalNet system has a near monopoly on all shipboard and station embedded systems. The systems are fitted as standard on nearly all independent ships and even some militaries. It's a testament to the trusted nature of the PF that this monopoly has occurred with the little resistance bar some backroom negotiations. Pilot's Federation Influence Officially, the Pilots Federation is apolitical: as an organisation it does not interfere with the internal workings of systems or factions. However this official stance is a misnomer. The PF wields considerable power through its web of political contacts as well as the application of the bounty system and control of the ship and station embedded systems.Tourist Beacon 0250 It also uses a lot of soft power by providing pilot safety support throughout human space. There are also known cliques within the PF (The Dark Wheel is probably the most famous) that have their own agendas. Officially these are discouraged, but in an organisation so large they are tolerated as long as they don't overstep the mark. The Elite In 3100 the Pilots Federation began issuing modified version of its 'wings' badge that included the pilot's rating written across it in capitals, and made official the names of these ratings, starting with 'Harmless, then 'Mostly Harmless', all the way to 'Elite'. The most coveted was the 'Elite' badge, and the first of these was awarded to Commander Peter Jameson, who wore it on the rear of his Cobra MkIII for the rest of his life.Tourist Beacon 0245 Before long this small and highly respected group of pilots with these coveted badges became known as 'The Elite'. They received all sorts of offers - both commercial and personal - (including offer of marriage!). The commercial side became valuable - whether it was transporting royalty or taking unknown items 'no questions asked'. The group was considered utterly trustworthy, with the confidentiality assured, and its members took this very seriously. The Elite Federation of Pilots As their reputation spread, the small group became overwhelmed. There was no way they could satisfy anything like all the demands on them, so they formed 'The Elite Federation of Pilots'. This was a sub-group of the Pilots Federation and it ran its own system to exchange offers between its members. It was quite secretive, and hugely respected, and there was a high demand for their services. Their main problem was how few 'Elite' pilots there were. Many pilots would get rich and retire long before they attained the coveted 'Elite' status; the fundamental problem was that the rating was a kill count. Wise members of the group realised that, in fact, they were no better pilots than some younger pilots with much lower ratings - they had just been doing it for longer - though others outside the group didn't see it like that. They wanted the cachet of employing an 'Elite' pilot. They were also aware that the pirates were getting better. They were better organised than in the early days, and better equipped.Tourist Beacon 0246 It is rumoured they run secret bases and have their own technologies, but what is known for certain is they are highly respected, and get generous discounts throughout human space. In practice the aura of secrecy proved a great strength. The EFP now has representatives throughout human space and beyond, and it is an organisation to which every pilot aspires to be a member. References Gallery Golden-Elite-Logo.png|Golden Elite Logo Original-Elite-Logo-1984.png|A scan of the Pilots Federation logo from the original Space Trader's Flight Training Manual, which was issued with the 1984 version of Elite as issued for the BBC Microcomputer 32K Elite_Pilots_Federation_Logo_(1984).png|A scan of the classic Pilots Federation logo with small changes added to it to provide protection against intellectual property theft Ranks online.jpg|Pilots Federation Rankings Elite-Dangerous-Pilot-Ranks.png|Pilot ranks The-Elite-Tourist-Spot-0245.png|The Elite Tourist Spot 0245 Elite_Dangerous_-_Epic_History_of_The_Pilots_Federation Category:Factions Category:Minor Factions Category:Guides Category:Organizations